David E. McDermott, Deputy Director, Operations

David E. McDermott is the Deputy Director for Operations with the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS). He assumed this position in May 2011 and is responsible for the management and operation of the agency’s mission-based organizations which provide direct finance and accounting support to the Department of Defense (DoD), Defense Agencies and various non-DoD agencies. Specifically, Mr. McDermott oversees the following functional areas: Accounting, Military Pay, Civilian Pay, Debt and Claims Management, Garnishment, Military Retired Pay, Transportation Payment, Travel Pay, Disbursing and the Foreign Military Sales Program.

Prior to this assignment, he served as the Director, Standards and Compliance responsible for developing finance and accounting goals and standards, analyzing operational results, and enabling DFAS to provide world class service to its customers. He also served as the Director of DFAS’s Rome, New York Site during this time. He previously served as the Deputy Director for Compliance; responsible for the Operations internal control program, analyzing operational results, audit liaison, and managing the compilation of financial operations and personnel pay metrics.

From August 2006 until June 2007, Mr. McDermott served as the Acting Director of the Financial Improvement and Audit Readiness Directorate in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller). In this capacity, he was responsible for management and oversight of the Department’s Financial Improvement and Audit Readiness Plan, which identifies financial process, system, and statement deficiencies and provides detailed corrective actions to address those deficiencies. He was also responsible for the Federal Manager’s Financial Integrity Act program for DoD, and management of the Improving Financial Performance initiative of the President’s Management Agenda.

Mr. McDermott came to DFAS in May 2005 as the Client Executive (CE) – Navy, joining the ranks of the Senior Executive Service. He assumed the duties as CE to the Marine Corps in May 2006. As the CE to the Navy and Marine Corps, he served as the interface between the Navy/Marine Corps and DFAS for all finance and accounting services.

Before coming to DFAS, Mr. McDermott worked for the Department of the Navy as the Team Leader for Financial Services in the Office of Financial Operations, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Financial Management and Comptroller), a position he had held since 1999. In this position, his responsibilities included management of charge card programs, electronic commerce initiatives, and matters relating to military and civilian pay.

Mr. McDermott began his federal career in 1982 as an accounting technician at the National Naval Medical Center while attending college. During his more than 30 years of federal service, Mr. McDermott has held leadership and staff positions as an accountant and budget analyst with the Office of Financial Operations, the Office of the Navy Comptroller, the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery and the International Trade Administration.

Mr. McDermott has received a number of awards during his federal service including the Meritorious Presidential Rank Award in 2010, the Office of the Secretary of Defense Award for Excellence in 2007, the Department of the Navy Superior Civilian Service Award in 2005 and 2001 and the Department of the Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award in 1998. Mr. McDermott is a member of the American Society of Military Comptrollers, the Association of Government Accountants and is frequently a public speaker on his areas of responsibility.

Originally from New Brunswick, NJ, Mr. McDermott earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from Columbia Union College in 1985. He also holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Baltimore School of Law.